Maori musician set to woo crowds at the Montana World of Wearable Art awards show

Ariana Tikao, a Ki Tahu singer-songwriter will perform as a featured soloist in the 2008 Montana WOW® Awards show that opens tomorrow night in Wellington. She’ll perform in front of more than 35,000 people over ten days.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to take te reo Mori and our waiata to an arts and fashion audience”, says Ariana. The show is well-known for its spectacular sets and choreography.
Ariana will also be singing with Wellington based singer Toni Huata in the Air New Zealand South Pacific section, choreographed this year by the legendary Mori choreographer Taiaroa Royal.

The Christchurch based singer-songwriter draws on folk, pop and jazz influences with a strong emphasis on mMteatea (Mori chant).

Ariana released her second solo album ‘Tuia’ earlier this year. 'Tuia', which by coincidence, means 'stitched' is a metaphor for the connections between people, within and across generations. It’s a bilingual album, featuring electronic production from award-winning producer Leyton and the sound of taoka pkoro (traditional Mori instruments) by Richard Nunns.

Her performance at the Montana WOW® Awards Show is another great achievement for this solo artist who was awarded a Creative New Zealand scholarship earlier this year to travel to England. She was Musician in Residence at the Centre for New Zealand Studies, at the University of London.

After dazzling crowds at the show, Ariana will be back in Wellington on 31 October to perform at this year’s PAO PAO PAO concert alongside other top contemporary Mori artists.